Too Damn Late to Cry
by nymqhadora
Summary: Daeda is our Female Sole Survivor, a former military spy and lawyer, tries to navigate the Fallout wasteland after witnessing her husband's death and her son's kidnapping. The usual story with variations and detail. Eventual romance with Mason in Nuka-World. Might write a separate version with more NSFW. Also found on AO3.
1. Preface - Prelude - Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.**

A/N: So I decided to rewrite the story because I felt like it was way too by the book. And I just started writing this beginning and yeah. It got a little out of control lol. But at least now there's a detailed back story of my Sole Survivor. Also, I might delete the NSFW version and just make it one version where IT IS NSFW. Also, might write other pairings within the same universe.

*Daeda is pronounced like day-duh.

. . .

Preface/Prelude - Home

. . .

Daeda often wondered what happened to the world. The time after World War II was fruitful, almost peaceful in the wake of the advancement in science. Daeda remembered a childhood spent carefree and lively, and then the war happened. Daeda remembered very little about the shortages. She was a teenager in High School when workers were going on strike and images of starving children were on the news. Her parents were just making ends meet but she was mostly worried about what she was going to do next.

She attended her first year of Law School when the war started. The escalating tension and attacks by the Chinese only worsened her situation. She was already in debt because of her student loans and prejudice seemed to break out like an epidemic. She wasn't of Chinese descent, she was Native American but the similarity in features only made her the target of ridicule. No one in her classes wanted to partner with her on projects, and the instructors wouldn't work with her to remedy it.

So she finished her second semester and went home, home was worse though. Her mother had lost her job at the local elementary for the same reasons Daeda had left school. Her father only had his job because there weren't many others who were willing to work at the nuclear plants. His pay was decreased and her parents had no choice but to sell their home and settle for a smaller one. Daeda spent several months looking for any job so that she could help her parents.

She had managed a small paying job at a local supermarket but was quickly let go after complaints from other employees and customers were filed. Daeda got tired of constantly being rejected and discriminated against. It wasn't difficult to make the decision to join the military. She was out of options and she began to feel a need to prove herself. She made it through basic training with flying colors despite the jabs at the way she looked.

It was with some relief and contempt that she was selected for a particular program _because_ of the way she looked. It was ironic that while everyone shunned her, the military needed her. She was dynamically trained to deceive and kill within a matter of months. She was told that if she wanted to be in the program she needed to give her all. So she did, like every other woman in the program they trained day and night to be the best. They passed all the tests given, written and physical, even an obstacle course and combat arena where they had to show off every style of combat they studied and mastered. They were given essential medical training, a few of them putting in extra time to be specialized in it, and essential survival skills that could be used in any situation and climate. They passed and were immediately put on assignment.

Smuggled behind enemy lines, her purpose was clear, espionage. She spent a year gathering intelligence for the American forces and assassinating anyone she was told to. Her pension and benefits were transferred to her parents per her request. She was finally able to do something without being held back.

She was given the orders to travel back to the west for a new assignment after she was wounded. She had been infiltrating a highly secured compound that specialized in "experimental warfare". The compound studied everything: from chemical warfare to how Russia used the cold to their advantage during WWII and if it could somehow be weaponized. She had been discovered when a security officer threw an odd looking grenade. Daeda had initially thought it would cause an explosion but instead a yellowish smoke erupted and Daeda was momentarily blinded. Her eyes stung and she was almost instantly incapacitated.

It was in that moment that Daeda was happy she wasn't alone. She had gone in first to recon the room but her fellow "teammates" were just outside waiting for her to give the all clear. They had heard the commotion and came in for her. That was one of their unofficial rules, don't leave anyone behind. She was roughly pulled out and propped against the outer wall. There were six of them in her team and Daeda could hear gun fire. Someone was trying to talk to her but Daeda was disoriented.

"I can't see," she had croaked, her throat suddenly tight and dry. She could hear a rustling of fabric and the light clink of metal against metal. She focused her hearing and figured that the team medic, Mercy as she was code named, was trying her best to patch her up. She felt two pinpricks of needles and figured she was given a stimpack and med-x. Later, Mercy would tell her that she had no idea what was in the grenade and what effects it would have so she had given Daeda what was generally used for every medical emergency. Daeda didn't argue and had to assure Mercy that she didn't blame her for her now shitty eye sight. After pictures were taken, information gathered, and the compound in flames they managed to escape.

They had retreated to their "headquarters" and that's where they laid low for several weeks until Daeda got clearance from their division director to be transferred to a medical facility somewhere in Western Europe. It wasn't difficult for Daeda to get clearance from the Chinese government to leave the country. She was after all technically a citizen. She had managed to "befriend" a top general and it just took some "convincing" for her to get a travel visa. She was pretty much okay but her vision had blurred and Mercy was afraid of residual side effects. They didn't have any idea of what the grenade was. They had acquired schematics and chemical formulas but none of them gave any clue to the chemical weapon.

Daeda wished she could say she enjoyed getting some R&R but she didn't. She grew restless and impatient. The other occupants of the medical facility were soldiers wounded in battle. They did not appreciate having a seemingly "oriental" woman in their midst. She didn't even try to justify their taunts and insults with an explanation or remark. She kept quiet. The few that tried to assault her were unnervingly surprised when she defended herself. She had them on the ground in a matter of seconds. A loud and obnoxious soldier had decided one day that he was going to "get a piece of the quiet bitch". Daeda had twisted his arm and only stopped when she heard a sharp crack. The man yelled out in pain and that's when Daeda pinned him to the floor. She spoke out loud for the first time for everyone to hear.

"Touch me again asshole and I'll kill you," Daeda had him in a headlock with her legs, her arm still holding him down. She gritted her teeth in anger, everyone near them backed up as if suddenly afraid of the angry woman. They were surprised to hear that she had a very clear American accent. "I've done more for our country than your worthless ass!" She looked up at all the other patients watching them with what looked like trepidation flickering across their faces. "Touch me, and I'll kill you." She aimed her words at all of them. They seemed to shuffle their feet nervously as if unsure what to do. It was only when the guy she had pinned to the ground began to look blue did she release her grip. The man instantly started coughing, groaning because of the broken arm lying rigidly at his side. Daeda looked at him one more time and then punched him in the face. His nose immediately began to bleed. She stood and waited for security to finally show up and take her to her room. She was confined there for the rest of the day.

She got a slap on the wrist when a commanding officer finally showed up. The footage and witness testimony all showed that what she did was in self-defense albeit a little excessive. Several days later she was brought to her doctor's office.

"From what we've been able to uncover about the chemical weapon that you were exposed to and your current condition, it seems that the exposure to your eyes has caused you to develop astigmatism. We aren't sure how this is possible as your past test results showed that you had perfect eye sight. This explains the blurriness you have been experiencing. There are some signs that the chemical may have affected your lungs, we'll need to run further tests to determine if this is true. In the mean time we will have our resident optometrist get your eye prescription and we'll have some glasses made for you. The director of your division is coming in tomorrow to talk to you about release and assignment," the doctor carefully informed her. Daeda heavily sighed, unsure of how to react to the fact that she now had to wear glasses in a job where they would just get in the way. She nodded stiffly and left the office to go back to her room.

. . .

Daeda was doing her regular workout, pull-ups and boxing when Director Royles walked into the hospital gym. She watched Daeda for several moments before she cleared her throat and made her presence known. Daeda stopped her movements and turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway to the gym. She sighed and began pulling off the tape on her hands and wrists.

"The girls have been asking about your condition and whether or not you'll be going back soon," Royles seemed to offer as an ice-breaker. Daeda couldn't help but smile to herself, missing her team, but then she frowned at the question left unanswered.

"Will I be going back?" Daeda asked in a hushed voice. Royles frowned at her heels and tried not to seem upset.

"No," she replied looking up at the upset form of one of her best soldiers. Daeda let in a harsh breath and tried not to collapse. She had dedicated over a year to the team and the thought of no longer being a part of it was devastating. She roughly pulled off the rest of the tape on her hands and finally collapsed on a worn bench. She picked up her tattered bag and fished out her new glasses. She put them on, the weight of them like a pressure pushing down on her spirit.

"What now?" Daeda finally asked. Royles sighed and sat next to Daeda. She put her hands on her knees.

"Well, the division has decided that it's too risky for you to go back to your old assignment. So, we're giving you a new one. You've managed to not only do your job in enemy territory but you also managed to get your second year done for your Law degree, is that correct?" Daeda nodded her head and tried to figure out where this was going. "We're offering you an opportunity to finish your education. We want to station you at one of our primary bases where you can learn everything you want for you to rise in ranks and we are offering to pay for any education you wish to take. You did a lot for your country and we want to show our gratitude. Your parents will still get your pension and benefits back on the main land. You don't have to worry about this affecting them. We firmly believe that you are too valuable to simply let go and we want to thank you," Royles finished her offer and waited for Daeda to answer. Daeda was reeling from the offer. It was incredibly generous, not only would she be able to finish her degree but she would also be able to keep up with her training. It wasn't exactly what she wanted, what she wanted was to be there for her teammates. She knew though that in her present condition she'd be more of a liability than an asset. It didn't take her long to decide that this was the best offer she was going to get.

"I accept the offer," she answered. Royles almost sighed in relief but was just able to hold it back. If Daeda had declined the offer, she would either be stuck in the medical facility indefinitely or she would be put under observation in a very different facility until the government could be absolutely sure that she wouldn't reveal government secrets or turn against them. Royles gave her a folder with her transfer orders, new status, and any other information needed for the transfer.

"We leave in two hours." The director smiled at Daeda and stood to leave the room. Daeda almost jumped in joy, she was happy to finally get out of there. She cleaned the equipment she used and rushed to her room to pack her stuff.

. . .

Daeda felt like her education was on fast forward. She was going through classes faster than usual because of all her free time. She didn't have a particular job or duty on the military base so she wasn't required to do all the day-to-day stuff. When she needed a break from her studies she was in the Engineering department. She had made friends with the workers there. They were happy to find out that she wanted to learn everything they were willing to teach her. So Daeda was in there a lot, she tinkered with some of the Power Armor and observed the engineers as they tested new weapons and modifications. She even helped out with that.

Life on the base was surprisingly peaceful. There was some ridicule and discrimination when she first got there but when it became clear that no one was going to get a rise out of her, they stopped. It also helped that several months after she first got there some of her team got leave and decided they wanted to visit her. The vast amount of men on the base was surprised to see a small group of foreign looking woman. They didn't know what to make of it at first.

Daeda's team strode in, in uniform, and sneered at anyone who looked at them funny. Even the small amount of women on the base were curious as to who these women were. It was very entertaining to watch everyone's reactions when the women broke out in shrieks, shouts, and hugs as they saw Daeda. They teased her on her glasses and gave her all the updates on the rest of the team. Mercy was there looking somewhat guilty and hesitant. Daeda chastised her and pulled her into a big hug.

That evening at dinner, the commanding officer on site stood to introduce Daeda's team. Everyone was given a brief description of what they did and everyone applauded politely, not quite believing that that was what Daeda used to do. Daeda's team left the next day, wanting to get some time on the main land before they had to go back on duty. She missed them almost immediately after they left. No one said anything remotely rude to her after that.

. . .

Daeda met Nate one afternoon in Engineering while she was working on a broken T-60 Power Armor. He had walked into the warehouse wearing his own Power Armor. He talked to a nearby technician about a glitch in his HUD. The technician asked him to step out of his armor so he could run diagnostics. He told him that there would be a wait but Nate just shrugged and said he would just hang out in there until they figured out what was wrong.

Daeda watched as he wandered around the warehouse watching what everyone was doing and picking up stuff to look at. On more than one occasion an engineer or technician shooed him off and Nate only grinned and moved to a different part of the warehouse. It was only after he had basically seen every inch of the place did he eye Daeda at her work station. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her uncomfortable. She was trying to repair the Power Armor helmet, her hands stained with grease and oil, when she felt someone standing right behind her watching her movements. She pulled away from the helmet to glare at him. He put his hands up as if in surrender and moved to lean against her table. He continued to watch her and she ignored him.

"You're Daeda, right?" he finally asked. Daeda sighed in annoyance and nodded her head stiffly. "I'm Nate." Daeda just looked at him while she removed a cracked actuator. He grinned at her like he had nothing better to do than just watch her work. "So you're a part of F.I.R.S.T?" Daeda frowned at him.

"F.I.R.S.T.?" she said in confusion.

"Yeah. Y'know the Female Intelligence Reconnaissance Strategic Team?" he said a mouthful and Daeda scoffed.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" she asked continuing with her work.

"What was it before?" he asked.

"A. V. O. I. D." Nate snorted.

"What did that stand for?" he asked.

"The Asian Voluntary Offensive Infiltration Division," she said drily while she replaced the cracked actuator. Nate watched her work.

"That sounds a little offensive," he remarked. Daeda snorted.

"I'm not even Asian," she supplied. He looked at her. She had honey-colored skin and curves, her looks alone looked foreign. Her hair was black and shouldered length but swept back in a messy bun, she had neatly trimmed bangs that framed her black-rimmed glasses. She had high cheekbones that sort of gave her away. She had these plump small lips that seemed to always be in a frown or pursed in disapproval. Nate couldn't remember ever seeing her smile. Daeda looked at him and realized he was appraising her. It made her feel on edge.

"You're not?" he asked, it sounded like he didn't quite believe her.

"I'm Native American," she finally stated. Nate was taken aback for a moment. He could see it now, the slight differences that suddenly made sense. She wasn't of Asian descent and yet she was often talked about like she was a traitor. Nate felt bad for the woman. The discrimination she must have received on a regular basis completely unnecessary because the woman wasn't even what everyone claimed her to be. Nate's features softened.

"I'm sorry," he offered. Daeda looked at him and frowned.

"Don't do that," she said. Nate straightened.

"Do what?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and seemed to finish up with her work.

"Feel sorry for me." She cleared her work station and swept past him in rigid strides.

. . .

Nate continued to bother her weeks after they formally met. He would sit with her at meals, or join her in her tinkering. He always spoke _at_ her, Daeda refused to join him in conversation. He wasn't unpleasant company and certainly didn't force his presence on her. If she told him to leave, he did. He never asked why or tried to dissuade her and that was something she appreciated.

She was actually warming up to him despite her lack of response. He told her so many stories, or even imparted some of his knowledge on the war and some of the newer weapons he had the privilege to test. Sometimes he made her want to smile, just small quirks of her lips that made him grin like an idiot. He seemed to be unendingly interested in her and she couldn't understand why.

In the beginning it peeved her because she believed he just felt bad for her. But the more he kept at it the more that seemed to be untrue. Soon enough she looked forward to his company. He was humorous and witty. He was clever and good. Daeda was falling for him before she even knew it.

"What did you say?" Daeda turned around in the sparsely crowded cafeteria. She had been reading a novel her mother sent her when she heard the start of rising voices. She swung around in her seat to see that it was Nate. He was in the face of another soldier who never had anything nice to say to anyone. The tension in the room grew as everyone stopped to watch the exchange.

The man stepped closer to Nate and spoke in low tones. Daeda couldn't hear what he said but in an instant Nate's face was red and he took a swing at the soldier. Daeda rushed over as the man dodged the hit and swung at Nate in the ribs. Nate stumbled back a step to catch his breath. He was just about to swing back when Daeda maneuvered between them and pushed on Nate's chest. He looked down at her in surprise.

"Stop it," she hissed at him.

"But he – "

"I don't care. Stop. It." She gritted her teeth and Nate took one look at her face and nodded. His stance relaxed in defeat.

"You're going to take orders from a tiny little bitch? You really are weak," the soldier taunted. Daeda looked at the soldier and in a moment he was clutching his nose and groaning. She had punched him in the face. Blood was coating his hands and he stumbled back.

"Who are you calling tiny?" she stood in front of him ready to take him down but then a hand on her shoulder pulled her back.

"Stop it," Nate copied her words. Daeda made a growling noise in the back of her throat, shaking her shoulders to get rid of the tension. Nate stepped up to the groaning soldier and kneed him in the groin.

"She's more of a soldier than you'll ever be," Nate whispered harshly in his ear. The man fell onto his knees, forgetting his nose to protect his aching groin. Nate turned around to see Daeda grab her food tray and walk off. He grinned to himself and followed after her.

"What the hell happened?" she muttered roughly as he followed her down a corridor.

"He said…some things about you and me," Nate confessed. Daeda turned around in her anger. Her tray dumped in a nearby trash can.

"I don't need you to defend me," she grit out. Nate couldn't help but smile at that.

"I didn't do it to defend your honor or anything. I did it because what he said was wrong and insulting. Not just to you but to me. I know you can take care of yourself. I know that you are more than capable of handling things on your own. I've seen you repair an entire Power Armor without much help and you just started learning about engineering and stuff months ago. I didn't do it because I feel like I need to defend you. And I don't feel sorry for you. I just care, and I know that must seem like some kind of weakness or pity to you but it's not. I like you. I think it'd be obvious by now but I honestly have no idea what else to do to get your attention," he let out in a rush. Daeda went from angry and peeved to interested and curious. The corners of her mouth weren't cooperating and were quirking up in a small smile. Nate stopped his rant in surprise. He couldn't help but grin.

"You are such an idiot," she let out. Giggles were rising and she couldn't help but double over in laughter. Nate watched, his ego a little wounded, but he'd never seen her like this and he wasn't about to ruin it.

"Well, I try," he replied to her, he couldn't help but smile. Daeda finally stopped long enough to look at him. She laughed a couple of more times and then she grabbed him by the neck and brought him down to kiss him. They crashed in a tumble of lips and teeth. Nate had never been kissed so roughly but he didn't mind, as long as she kept holding onto him.

. . .

When Daeda finally got her Law degree she had been dating Nate for six months. It wasn't technically allowed but no one said anything. Once Daeda got her degree she was given the offer to go home. Director Royles seemed to pull some strings so that Daeda could go home in peace and well looked after. Daeda was reluctant to accept it. She wanted to go home but she also didn't want to leave Nate. They danced around the topic for weeks until Nate had to go into battle.

His squad was being sent into a warzone. Daeda worked on his Power Armor for days making sure it had the latest updates and mods to maximize his chances of survival. Nate told her it wasn't necessary but Daeda didn't listen and just continued her work.

The morning of the battle they lied in bed together. Nate needed to get up and get ready but he couldn't will himself to leave her arms. Finally, he couldn't hold it off any longer. He moved to get up but she pulled him back down. She kissed him like it might be their last. She pulled way and looked him in his eyes.

"Go home with me," she whispered to him. He just kissed her and got up. It was all that was on his mind the rest of the day and night. He fought with a new purpose, a new drive. He needed to win, to survive, and to go back to _her_. The Chinese were falling back and their victory was inevitable but then a stray bullet lodged itself into the actuator of Nate's left leg and his armor buckled. The circuits in his leg started sparking and something came loose. A piece of the metal in the leg seemed to have been dislodged by the bullet and it was digging into his real leg. He screamed in pain as the tissue was sliced into.

One of the nearby soldiers rushed towards him to help him out of the suit. A medic rushed over to tie a tourniquet for his leg. He was bleeding fast. The ground under him soaked in his blood. The sky began to blur and the pain was fading. Nate closed his eyes.

. . .

When Nate opened his eyes Daeda was sitting at his bedside, holding his hand. He smiled instantly and she smiled back. Tears were in her eyes and Nate wanted to brush them away.

"Let's go home," he whispered to her. His voice hoarse and his throat dry. Daeda laughed in tears and kissed him.

. . .

Nate made the decision to leave the military when he realized how much he was afraid of losing Daeda. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again. His superiors didn't really put up a fight. After his injury, they thought he deserved to go home. When they arrived stateside, they stayed with Daeda's parents. They took a liking to him almost immediately which surprised Nate but from what he understood later, they were just glad to see their daughter happy. Nate didn't have any family; he grew up in the foster care system and went from house to house. He didn't know how much he was missing until those days staying with Daeda and her parents.

They married several months after settling, it was a small ceremony. They both didn't see the point in making a show of it. They loved each other, they wanted to be together, and that was that. Daeda's parents were ecstatic. They were even more so when a couple of months later they found out Daeda was 9 weeks pregnant.

Daeda's pensions and benefits seemed to have helped her parents greatly. They were able to live much better than they were before she left and they had saved quite a lot of what they didn't use. Her father even went so far as to invest some of the money into stocks, mostly in Nuka-Cola and General Atomics. They were coming out good and Daeda no longer had to worry about them.

Nate found a job relatively easy with his veteran status. They purchased a home in a newly built neighborhood called "Sanctuary Hills". It was the perfect slice of suburbia to raise their child in. They were coming out good as well and Nate was more than happy to provide for the both of them. He didn't like the idea of her looking for work. There was still too much prejudice out there and he didn't want to see her hope swindle because people were stupid. But gladly, Daeda had made the decision to stay at home at least until the baby was born.

When Shaun was born, it was like everything was perfect. Nate thought it would be hard, hard to settle down and start a family when there was still so much trauma from the war. But with Daeda, it came naturally.

. . .

A/N: Kind of rushed it towards the end because I was creeping up on 4,000 words and I was like "whoa there" lol. Hope this is a good or at least interesting beginning. Look out for more (:


	2. Chapter 1 Family

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.**

A/N: Hopefully, some of you are enjoying this story so far lol. I have to admit upfront that I am not a scheduled writer. I don't churn out chapters on a deadline. It's usually if I feel like writing, or if I have time, or if I get sudden inspiration. If you want to see some "scheduled fanfics" of mine, I only do somewhat of a timely fanfic with my Harry Potter one-shots "Ricochet". And that's because those fanfics are for a Fanfiction competition over on . The season is almost over for that one though so that fanfic might slow down for awhile at least until the next season starts. And those fanfics are relatively not above a Teen rating because that's one of the rules for the competition, but I'm still very proud of them. That's if some of you read HP Fanfiction. If not, then disregard this absurdly long author's note. I mostly write HP Fanfiction because that was my first fandom and my first introduction to Fanfiction. I have an old as heck Marvel fanfic that I have not continued mostly because of lack of inspiration. I have like half a chapter 2 of that fanfic. And then I have about a dozen old fanfics sitting on my laptop that need to be rewritten/revamped because they are old as heck as well and I have tremendously grown as a writer since they were conceived. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let's see if I can keep the "long as heck" chapters going. That prelude or preface or whatever was long as fuck, and I honestly have no idea how it happened. It just did. Please don't let that be your expectation from here onward because I am sure to disappoint. Lol. Anyways.

. . .

Chapter 1 – Family

. . .

"Ah, good morning, mum! Your coffee, 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection! And today's newspaper, just delivered!" Daeda walked into the open room and smiled at the chipper presence of Codsworth. She took her coffee from him, just managing not to drop the ceramic coffee cup. It was hot.

"Thanks, Codsworth!" She smiled widely at him and placed the steaming cup on the counter. The first time Codsworth made coffee for her it was almost terrifyingly hot but he had looked so eager to please that Daeda took a sip and exclaimed that it was "perfect!" and Codsworth continued to make it that way ever since. Daeda didn't have the heart to tell him any different.

"Of course, mum!" Codsworth had exclaimed in excitement. Daeda glanced at him fondly and continued to leaf through the newest issue of Grognak the Barbarian. Nate walked past her to pick up the newspaper sitting on the other side of the counter. His hand grazed her waist as he smiled at her. She smiled back at him.

"Finally finished fixing your hair?" She teased. Nate chuckled as he read the front page.

"Ah, sounds like someone made a stinky! I shall attend to young Shaun," Codsworth bustled out of the kitchen like an old nanny and Daeda couldn't help but smirk at the resemblance. Nate chuckled as if he could read Daeda's mind. Codsworth was always the first one to hear any peep from Shaun.

"I know we were nervous at first, but I'm glad we got Codsworth," Nate looked at her from the top of the newspaper. Daeda smiled at him.

"I know. He's been so helpful. I don't think we would have gotten any sleep those first few weeks if we didn't have him." She flipped the page in her comic and sipped at her hot coffee. Nate's gaze lingered on her. He still couldn't believe that she was real and there, with _him_. Nate sometimes woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the first time he saw her.

He had walked into engineering fully intent on seeing the latest mods and she was sitting on the ground. Mechanical parts were strewn around her. She was wearing cargo pants and a black tank top, her hair in a high pony tail as she read through a worn manual. She was completely oblivious to anyone else in the room, her brows furrowed in concentration. Nate had watched her for what felt like hours until he realized he was staring like a pervert. He had made a hasty retreat.

Nate smirked to himself. Sometimes he felt like his greatest victory was winning her heart, and wasn't that so cheesy?

"… On the island of Mambajao the nights are cold. Unseasonably so…"

"Mambajao? When did the 5th infantry make it to the Philippines?" Daeda was looking at the TV with furrowed brows. Nate looked up from his newspaper and followed her gaze. He sighed to himself. He didn't like watching the news. There were always updates on the war and he had enough of it. He wanted the war to be over so he could live with his wife and son in peace. The war was a dark cloud that seemed to hang over them no matter how happy they were. Daeda still received letters from her former teammates. She sent them pictures of Shaun and their new home. They were completely encouraging and supportive but he could tell that she missed them, missed the battle. Nate was happy to be out of there. He just wanted her and that was all he needed. Before he could respond to her question, the door bell rang. Nate sighed again for an entirely different reason.

"It's that salesman again. I don't know why he keeps bothering you," He grumbled from his side of the counter. Daeda smiled at him and stood to answer the door.

"Maybe he's looking for desperate housewives to fuck," She said flippantly like the notion wasn't wholly inappropriate and alarming. He put his newspaper down and followed her figure like a hawk.

"Good morning! Vault-Tec calling!" The salesman was startling cheery and Daeda had to hold back her bite.

"Good morning," She managed without sounding irritated. The salesman looked up at the sky in mock wonder.

"Isn't it? Just look at the sky out there!" He cleared his throat as he looked back at her. She had to hold back rolling her eyes. "You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you. I've been trying for days. It's a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you." She held back a sigh at his theatrics.

"What's so important?" She just managed to ask without sounding put out.

"Why nothing less than your entire future! If you haven't noticed, ma'am, this country has gone to heck in a hand basket. If you'll excuse my language. The big kaboom is…it's inevitable, I'm afraid. And coming sooner than you may think. If you catch my meaning. Now, I know you're a busy woman, so I won't take up much of your time. Time being a, um, precious commodity…I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local vault. Vault 111," The salesman did a showman gesture with his hands as he said it. Daeda finally understood what the fuss was about.

Her former director, Royles, had sent her a letter talking about these vaults. Royles had told her that she got Daeda and her family cleared for a spot in one. The letter was brief but hinted at bad things to come. Daeda hadn't told Nate. She was skeptical. The American forces were gaining momentum everyday and surely nothing would be so drastic as to need entrance into a vault. But Royles had been adamant that Daeda accept the offer. So she listened to the rest of the salesman pitch, signed the papers, and bid him goodbye. She closed the door with a sigh.

"Hey, it's peace of mind. That's worth a little paperwork, right?" Nate commented. Daeda scowled at him.

"Yeah, let me do all the paperwork," She jabbed back at him. He grinned at her and she lightly hit him in the head. She sighed again and couldn't help but admit he was right. If Royles really did think something bad was coming then maybe accepting the vault offer wasn't such a bad thing. Daeda glanced back at the front door. "For you and Shaun, no price is too high." Nate chuckled and stood up. He circled his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss. She followed his lips in a dance they were both familiar with.

"Good answer," Nate said. She smiled and kissed him again.

"Mum." Codsworth whirred into the living room. "Oh my, sorry to interrupt. Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down. I think he needs some of that 'maternal affection' you seem to be so good at." Daeda pulled away from Nate. She loved Shaun but sometimes she just wanted to have these little moments with her husband. He seemed to read her mind; he grabbed her hand and pulled her back in for one more kiss.

"Go ahead, honey. I'll be there in a second to help, okay?" She pecked him one more time and then pulled away to go to her son's room.

"…Chinese forces may have finally been driven from Anchorage, but the conflict has transitioned into a frighteningly tense stalemate…" Daeda stopped midway down the hall. The news was still on the TV and she couldn't help but freeze in sudden fear. She had been so sure that the war was winding down. After all, what were those missions for? Months spent hiding, killing, and gathering intelligence. What was the point if the US didn't win? Daeda forced the shivers away and held her head up high as she continued to Shaun's room. She couldn't think about that, not right now. She had Nate and Shaun to think about. And if things got worse, she would protect them, at all costs.

She walked into Shaun's room with an unintentional intensity she didn't mean to convey. She had walked right up to his crib and looked down at him with concern and a sudden instinct to protect. She gently caressed him, and smiled when he giggled at her. She cooed at him and all the tension in her shoulders seemed to dissipate. Shaun was her reason, her reason to be in the moment. She knew Nate knew that she missed the fight, the battles. But Shaun kept her grounded, two feet on the floor and a purpose she never knew she would have. She smiled down at him.

"I love you so much," She whispered at him. Shaun smiled up at her as if he could understand what she was saying.

"That's my boy. On his best behavior, just like his dad. Well, most of the time, anyway…" Daeda glanced at Nate in the open doorway. She gave him a quick glare before she smiled back down at their son. Nate joined her at Shaun's crib. He reached over her to push the button on the mobile. A soft lullaby started to play as the small rockets began to move in a circle. Shaun watched the motions in fascination, no longer fussy. Nate put his arm around Daeda as they both watched their son.

"Listen, after breakfast, I was thinking we could head to the park for a bit. Weather should hold up," Nate said softly in her ear. She couldn't help but smile wider at the image of them at the park, a family. She moved in his arms to look at him, she was just about to answer when Codsworth interrupted.

"Sir? Mum? You should come and see this!" Codsworth no longer sounded like his chipper self. There was a hint of worry in his voice that Daeda didn't like. Nate's grip on her tightened and his expression hardened. He turned to look towards the open door.

"Codsworth? What's wrong?" He drew away from her long enough for Daeda to walk into the living room. Codsworth was in front of the TV, watching in trepidation. Daeda looked to the TV screen to see a forlorn news anchor with his head in his hand.

"…Followed by…yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions…we're…we're trying to get confirmation…but we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations…" Daeda's hand went to her mouth as she let out a loud gasp. Her other hand to her stomach, it was instantly in knots. She turned towards the hallway, Nate stood there with Shaun in his arms.

"Wait, what? What did he say?" She moved to his side. He looked at her face and then back at the TV screen. "Oh, no." Daeda was panicking. All her training and she couldn't think straight. She gripped Nate's arm in alarm.

"We do have…coming in…confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My God…" Daeda was shaking. She had never felt such an overwhelming bout of fear. Her grip tightened and Nate looked at her. He held Shaun tighter to his chest.

"Oh my God," Daeda breathed out. Her face was pale and he didn't know what to do. But he knew the moment he looked at her that he would have to be the one to get them to safety. Just as the thought came to him the sirens began. Suddenly, everything was real and he only had one thing on his mind.

"We need to get to the vault. Now!" He pulled on his wife's arm with his free hand, pulling her along with him as Codsworth opened the front door. Daeda stumbled with Nate but before they left the house she locked eyes with Codsworth. The worry was evident in his motions.

"Codsworth, stay safe, honey!" She yelled as Nate pulled her towards Vault 111.

"And your family as well, mum. Oh my…" Was all she heard before her husband let go of her and stopped her.

"Daeda, stay with me honey. You need to focus. Use your training. We need to get to the vault and I can't carry you with me while I'm holding Shaun, alright? Can you do that for me?" He said, looking into her eyes. She nodded shakily and followed him as he continued on the path to the vault. She was still shaking uncontrollably but she managed to get ahead of him as she saw the crowd at the gate to the vault. She took one look at the guards and soldiers in Power Armor and knew what was happening. Not everyone was cleared for the vault and Vault-Tec wasn't going to change that. She saw the Vault-Tec Rep argue with the guard and watched in mild horror as he was turned away.

"I AM Vault-Tec," He had growled. But one step from the power armored soldiers and he backed off. She pushed to the front. She looked behind her for her husband and son. Nate was right behind her.

"We need to get in! We're on the list!" She let out in a huff. She was still shaking but the guard looked over her and her clasped hand with Nate's then looked down at his clipboard.

"Infant…Adult male…Adult female…ok, go ahead." The guard moved for them to pass and she felt a rush of relief. Nate lightly pushed on her lower back to hurry her along. He went in front of her as she slowed to look behind. Her neighbors were still standing there, unable to pass because they didn't have clearance. She stopped in her tracks and was torn between getting her family to safety and trying to help.

"There's nothing we can do. We need to get Shaun safely in the vault," Nate roughly spoke into her ear. He was tugging on her arm. Daeda looked at him and then at their son, his eyes were wide and looking at her. He looked like he was about to cry.

"You two follow me! Come on!" A Vault-Tec security guard yelled at them and started running towards the vault platform. Daeda took one last glance at the gate and then nodded unsurely at Nate. He gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her towards where the guard was waiting. Daeda followed at a brisk pace.

"What's going to happen to all those people outside the gate?" Nate asked. She knew it was for her sake. She knew all he wanted was to get her and Shaun safely in the vault.

"We're doing everything we can, now keep moving! Step on the platform! In the center!" Daeda watched as the guard ran to the control center. She couldn't believe that was his answer. They were doing everything they can? She stepped into the center of the platform with Nate and Shaun. She looked at the few of her neighbors on the platform and then gazed down towards the bend. It wasn't enough. They weren't doing enough and she couldn't believe it.

"…All right, that's it. Send it down…"

"Almost there," Nate commented impatiently beside her. Daeda focused her attention on her husband and looked down at the bundle in his arms.

"Is Shaun okay?" She asked.

"He's fine. We're gonna be okay. I love you." Nate was looking solemnly at her. She moved in to kiss him when it happened. The ground shook and a massive explosion reached their ears. An instant mushroom cloud could be seen in the distance and the ground began to shake violently. "Oh my god." Daeda hurriedly moved closer to Nate. She put her arms over his shoulders to help shield their son.

"NOW! NOW! SEND IT DOWN NOW!" She could hear the guards yelling. The platform began to lower just as the impact of the detonation reached them. Rubble was raining down on them. The ground was still shaking violently and all Daeda could see was dust. Then they were down far enough that the top sealed shut. No light could be seen until they finally reached the bottom. She could hear voices and see light. She slowly moved away from Nate. She coughed at the debris. Nate was coughing too as well as the neighbors around them.

"We did it. We made it. We're okay," He hoarsely said. He was looking at Daeda with relief. She gave a small smile and looked down at Shaun to check on him. He was fine. Only a small amount of dust got on him and mostly on the blanket he was covered in. She lightly brushed off the dust and caressed him. He slightly stirred and then let out a small cry.

"No need to worry, folks! We'll get everyone situated in your new home. Vault 111! A better future, underground!" She was getting so tired of the cheery Vault-Tec employees. Nate gently rocked the baby in his arms and he quieted down.

"Everyone please step off the elevator and proceed up the stairs in an orderly fashion…" Daeda glanced around them and realized that they were just outside the vault. She watched as several of her neighbors followed the instructions while others were hunched over walls, seeming too overwhelmed to do much. She intertwined her hand with Nate's and they slowly made their way to the stairs. A man in a blue skin-tight suit seemed too cheery about the whole situation. She assumed he was the Overseer. They walked along a walkway to the opening of the vault. Several Vault-Tec employees were milling about as well as one guy in a guard outfit. Daeda eyed him warily. She didn't like the look of him. She approached a cheery woman who handed her a "Vault suit" and told her to follow a doctor. She took Nate's suit for him; he gave her a small smile.

"All right, you three. Follow me!" The doctor was too cheery as well. She frowned but they followed him. Shaun piped up for a minute to give another cry. She hung back for a little to see if she needed to help but Nate was gently rocking him still.

"See? This is our new home…" He cooed at him. Their baby settled down and they continued along a hallway. Daeda watched as several of her neighbors clung to each other. Some were crying, others visibly upset but not making any sound. A lady was talking about her parents and that's when she froze. Right there in the middle of hallway she was close to bursting into tears.

"Daeda? What is it?" Nate gently asked. She shook her head, holding back the flood of emotions threatening to overtake her.

"My parents," She finally managed to let out. Nate's eyes widened briefly before he pulled her into an awkward side hug. He didn't want to squish Shaun.

"I'm sure their okay. They had that monthly subscription remember? That one vault they kept talking about?" He consoled. Daeda sniffled and nodded her head. But she didn't quite believe it. Deep down, she knew that she would never see them again. She looked at the doctor who had stopped walking too. He was looking impatiently at them and she had the sudden urge to make him bleed. Nate held onto her though, noticing her expressions easily. "Breathe." Daeda did and closed her eyes. She breathed her husband in and she calmed easily enough.

"How long do you think we'll be down here?" Nate asked. The doctor seemed to be holding back a sigh. Daeda pulled away from him and held onto his hand. They continued walking towards the doctor. At this motion, the doctor relaxed and looked cheery again.

"Oh, we'll be going over all that in orientation. Just a few medical items we have to get through first." They walked into a room filled with odd looking pods. More of her neighbors were standing in front of the odd machines; changing into the Vault suits they were given. Daeda averted her eyes appropriately and followed the doctor to two pods towards the back. "Just step in here. And put your Vault suit on." Shaun decided at that moment to start crying. Nate was rocking him again but he couldn't seem to calm down. She walked up to them and smiled gently at their son.

"It'll be okay. Mommy's right here, see?" Nate held him out a little so he could see Daeda. She gently caressed his cheek and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Who's my little guy? I'm not going far. I'll just be over there." She glanced at the pod across and tried not to cringe at going in them. She smiled down at her baby and he seemed to be calming down.

"There she is, see? Mommy's not going far." Nate looked to the Vault suit in Daeda's hand and then gently held Shaun out. She dropped the Vault suits on the floor and took the baby in her arms. She gently rocked him and said sweet things to him while her husband grabbed his Vault suit and changed. Once he was changed he gestured for Shaun. She gave Shaun another kiss and handed him to his father. He held the baby while Daeda changed into her Vault suit. When it was on, she looked at Nate. They smiled sadly at each other. He slightly leaned towards her and Daeda did too. They kissed and then pulled away.

"All set? Just step inside." She threw a glare at the doctor and turned back to Nate. He gave her a smirk.

"Go ahead. I just want to give Shaun a moment." She gave him a small nod and then turned towards the pod. She climbed in. The door of it closed and she watched as Nate moved into his pod as well.

"The pod will decontaminate and depressurize you before we head deeper in the vault. Just relax." Daeda wasn't looking at the doctor though; she was watching Nate, one hand on the small glass.

"Time for a whole new life," She breathed.

"…Resident secure. Occupant vitals: Normal. Procedure complete in 5…" She heard an automated voice begin while in the pod. Her breathing accelerated. Unsure of what was going to happen.

"…4…" Everything was getting blurry and Daeda couldn't focus.

"…3…" Something was coming into the pod. Her fingers were cold.

"…2…" She couldn't feel her legs.

"…1…" A blinding white light overtook her and that was all she could see.

. . .

A/N: So yep! This chapter was long too! I know a lot of the dialogue is straight from the beginning of the game but I liked incorporating that. A lot of the dialogue feels unnatural but I wanted to try and make it feel not so scripted. Hope I did okay. Anyways, thanks for reading. I hope you liked this! And keep an eye out for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 2 Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.**

A/N: Well, thank you if you've stuck around! I read over the last chapter and I saw the errors and awkward parts so don't worry. I'll fix those at some point. On another note, I do need a beta so if someone is willing to strike up some form of friendship and is willing to beta that would be great! Now onto the story!

. . .

Chapter 2 Out

. . .

An endless white that was all Daeda could see. There was no feeling of time or place, just an endless white that never changed.

"…Manual override initiated. Cryogenic stasis suspended…" Daeda heard the same automated voice. There were mechanical noises that seemed to slowly bring everything back into focus. Her vision was clearing, she was coughing and wheezing. She couldn't feel various parts of her body but she felt a sudden coldness seep into her skin. She could barely move her arms, trying to push on the glass window of the pod. What was happening? Was it over? Were they done? She could barely see Nate and Shaun in the pod across from hers. Her glasses were beginning to fog and the edges of the glass were covered in white, like ice. She looked around the pod. What was happening?

"This one." Daeda snapped her head up too quickly, her neck immediately began to ache, protesting the movement. There were two figures. One wearing some kind of leather and armor. And another, what seemed to be a woman in a hazmat suit. Daeda coughed again. Her chest heaving rapidly. She was so confused and her body was beginning to hurt. What did Vault-Tec do?

"Open it." The man wearing armor said. Daeda tried to focus, he was carrying a gun. She continued to weakly hit the front of her pod. What were they doing? The woman pulled some kind of latch. Daeda was trying, trying to get them to look at her but it was no use. The pod opened and Nate was coughing.

"Is it over? Are we okay?" Nate heaved, coughing and shivering. Daeda started to panic, she looked around her for any way to get out but there was none. Then she heard Shaun, he began to cry. His wails setting off a deep seated need to protect but she couldn't. She couldn't get out.

"Almost. Everything's going to be fine," The man spoke. Daeda heard his voice clearly this time. It was gravely and bordering on menacing. Daeda was beginning to get more control of her arms. She hit the small glass window harder but to no avail. She drew in a breath to speak but went into a frenzy of coughing fits instead.

"Come here…Come here, baby," The woman cooed at Shaun. Nate pulled away from her reaching hands. Nate's vision seemed to be focusing; he locked eyes with Daeda across in the other pod and saw her struggling. He looked at the two mysterious figures standing before him and knew that something was wrong.

"No, wait. No, I've got him!" He tried to move but his body was shivering so badly that he didn't how much longer he could keep holding onto Shaun without dropping him. What happened? Where were the doctors? Nate desperately held onto his son trying to figure out some way he could get out of this.

"Let the boy go. I'm only gonna tell you once!" The man raised a gun in his face. Nate began to struggle even more. He tried to will his legs to move but they couldn't. He barely had control of his arms. Nate didn't know what to do but to hold onto his child.

"I'm not giving you Shaun!" Nate yelled. Daeda watched with horror as a ringing gunshot echoed. She saw Nate's head snap back, a burst of blood on the padding of his pod. The woman took Shaun from Nate's limp arms. Daeda hit harder on the glass but nothing. Her body spasmed, unable to handle her hurried movements.

"Goddammit! Get the kid out of here, and let's go," The man seemed angry but not as angry as her. She forced her legs to move, now kicking the pod, trying to get it open. The woman moved out of sight with _her_ son and the man walked up to her pod, gazed at her through the glass. "At least we still have the backup." Daeda looked at his face; she burned his features into her brain. Once she figured out how to get out of there, she would find him and kill him. She would find Shaun, and she would make them pay. She violently hit the glass once the man walked out of view.

"…Cryogenic sequence reinitialized…" Before Daeda could even acclimate to what was happening, there was something seeping into the pod again. Her movements slowed and a blinding white took over.

. . .

"…Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately…" Daeda was coughing and gasping. The white was beginning to clear and the pod was coming into focus. Her body was shivering and her lungs struggled to work. Her legs and arms were stiff; she barely managed to put her hands into fists, the motions slow. Her chest was spasming painfully, the coughing and gasping coming with no respite. Her head moved with every cough. Her glasses were foggy again, she struggled to see.

"…Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately…" Daeda's pod was opening. She only managed to put her hands in front of her before she was falling onto her knees. She landed painfully onto the floor. The coughs grew violent, sucking in the air in painful gasps. She was still shivering, her limbs stiff and cold. She let out a painful gasp and looked around her. Where was she? What was happening? She glanced up at the pod in front of her and everything came rushing back to her. She let out a low sob as she struggled to stand. She steadied herself against Nate's closed pod. Through the icy haze of the glass she could see him. She gripped the handles on the door and looked around for a way to open it.

"…Malfunction in Cryo Pod manual release override…" She hit the pod. The pain from the impact took several moments to register. She moved slowly, body still adjusting.

"Come on! There has to be a release…" She pulled on a latch on the side and it slowly opened. She was crying freely now. She was shivering and trying to hold it together but the moment she saw the blood she almost collapsed in devastation. It was real. Everything she saw was real. "Oh God…" She was holding herself up by holding onto the side of the machine. She looked around her. Shaun. Where did they take him? She turned back to Nate. Everything was beginning to focus; she pushed down her anguish and reached for his hand. He was frozen to the touch, ice crystals all over his skin. She gently took off his wedding ring and pocketed it. "I'll find who did this and I'll get Shaun back. I promise," Her voice wavered. She squeezed his hand and then pulled away. She stumbled as she tried to walk towards the room door. It was closed. Her feet tripped up the stairs but she managed to catch herself on the railing. She neared the door and it opened on its own.

"…Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately…" She looked around but there was no one. She looked back at the room, the other pods still held her neighbors. She turned back to the hallway. Where was everyone? She went to the room on the left; more of her neighbors were in there. She tried the pods but they wouldn't open.

"Oh God… Why would Vault-Tec do this?" she murmured to herself. Dread was overcoming her. Was she the only one there? She saw a computer in the back and stumbled to it. She wiped at the dust on the screen and waited for it to boot up. She pushed on the resident profiles but each one said the same. There was some kind of malfunction with the life support and none of the residents were alive. She hit the keyboard and rushed over to another pod. The face of one of her neighbors was looking at her but unseeing, she couldn't remember her name. She tried everything to open the pod but it said the same thing.

"…Malfunction in Cryo Pod manual release override…" Daeda hit the pod but to no avail. She was alone. She walked past each pod trying to see any signs of life but there was none. All the residents were frozen and if the computer was correct, they had all suffocated because of the system failure. Her body shivered and lurched awkwardly. Her heart was beating fast and she was beginning to panic.

"They're…they're dead," She said to herself. She held onto her chest and moved frantically towards the open sliding door. "HELLO! ANYONE?" But there was no one, no answering voices, no signs of life. All she could hear was the vault computer and the sounds of machinery. She moved towards the sliding door, the one they walked through when they first got their vault suits but it was shut. Tools were lying around in front of it like someone had tried to get it open. Daeda pushed on the side console to open it.

"…Malfunction in emergency exit door override. Please contact your Vault-Tec maintenance representative for service…" Daeda hit the door but it wouldn't open. She was getting frustrated fast and the warning signs of a panic attack weren't helping. She was breathing heavily now. She moved towards another sliding door to the side. She pushed on the side console and it slid open. She sighed in relief and moved down the short stairs. She walked around a bend and was moving towards another sliding door when she noticed a room off to the side. She stumbled into the room. There were some folding chairs, filing cabinets, and a desk with a computer. She sank into a folding chair and turned on the computer. Maybe she could find some more information.

The terminal and office seemed to belong to security. Daeda vaguely remembered a stern looking face and grimaced at the memory. All those people…what happened? She clicked on each subject on the terminal. Vault-Tec was testing suspended animation on unaware "human subjects", she felt anger and confusion. Why? What was the point? She put her head in her hands and tried to focus. This was not the time to cry or panic. She tried to recall her training but her mind was foggy. Her body was still trying to adjust and it made her concentration more difficult. Images of Nate and her neighbors flashed through her head. She hit the desk and let out a sound of frustration. This wasn't supposed to happen. They should be alive, they should all be alive.

Daeda pushed away her thoughts and continued her exploration of the terminal. She found some security logs and read them in morbid fascination. Things had started as expected but then the vault had reached its mandatory shelter period, the vault had run out of food. For some reason the Overseer didn't want anyone to leave the vault, the security staff seemed to have planned a revolt. That was the last entry and Daeda powered down the terminal. She stared at the wall and then looked around her surroundings. Did they get out? She stood on shaky legs and continued into the next corridor.

She seemed to have reached a reactor of some kind. She wasn't familiar with the mechanics of the vault. She gazed through the window and at the electric currents emitting from the machine. She was just about to turn to go into the next room when something flew onto the glass. She stumbled back in horror and landed harshly on the floor. It looked like a giant cockroach. Her hand went to her mouth, she stared in panic. She watched it move along the glass and then with a gross squeak flew off the glass. Daeda was frozen in shock. What happened?! She struggled to her feet and looked around. She needed a weapon, something blunt that she could bludgeon with. She looked at a rusted table and found an old security baton. She grabbed it and struggled to keep her hand from shaking. She gripped it like her life depended on it and walked cautiously into an open area. It was a small cafeteria.

Bottles and rusted cans littered the floor. Chairs were overturned and when she walked into the barracks accompanying it, the beds were pushed and upturned. There was no sign of life but obviously something had happened. She sighed when she didn't find anything useful. She rushed over to a sink in the corner and turned the knobs. The pipes groaned and clanged but the water that came out was clear. She sighed in relief and brought handfuls up to her mouth. The water was cold going down her sore throat but it was something. She picked up some of the empty bottles and filled them up with water. She secured them with some duct tape she found lying around and stuffed them into a worn leather bag she found in one of the rusted lockers. She also packed a frayed and moth eaten blanket, and a box of Instamash she found hidden in a hole in the wall behind a locker. She swung it over her shoulders and had to stand still for several moments before she got used to the weight.

She moved slowly towards the sliding door, she gripped the security baton and steeled herself. She moved along the walls and made her way around the electricity-emitting machine. She moved closer to the door on the opposite side but some of the big insects were in front of it. Her hand spasmed around the baton, her breathing quickened. One of them turned towards her and started scurrying. She brought the baton up and flattened the gross bug. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a giant cockroach.

"What the hell…" The other roach approached her; it bit into her leg before she could react. She stumbled back from the impact and hurriedly hit it. It was down. She was heaving against the wall now. There was a dull ache and burn against her leg, she looked down at it. Her suit was slightly torn and she could see a small wound on her leg. "Gotta keep moving…" She pushed away from the wall and moved into the next room. She ignored the ache in her leg and continued until she reached the Overseer's office. A skeleton was all that was left of the Overseer; she looked down at it and gently pulled the 10mm gun out of its hand. She checked it and looked around for bullets; she found them in a bottom drawer and moved to sit in the seat in front of the Overseer's terminal. She glanced down at the skeleton. "How long has it been?" She looked worriedly back at the screen and checked the logs.

She knew that the radiation outside would be bad years after the detonations, it was common knowledge but the shortages of food and the lack of outside help made the employees desperate. The only way they would survive was to leave the vault, and even then survival wasn't guaranteed. The Overseer knew the risks, he had tried to prevent them from leaving but there was only so much he could do. Daeda sighed and stood rigidly. She moved to the other side of the room where a small armory was broken into. She found another 10mm; she stuffed into her bag and grabbed the bullets that were left. She found a clear box that seemed to have the prototype gun the Overseer was working on. She wasn't strong enough to break the lock and she didn't have anything to break into it. She decided she would come back for it, if she could.

She opened the door that led to the entrance of the vault via the terminal. She tightened the straps on the backpack, gripped her 10mm and moved. She entered the dark entrance where more skeletons lied; she killed two more of the giant roaches and moved towards a panel. She looked over the switches and buttons and figured out how to open the vault, but she needed access. She checked the dead bodies and found a Pip-Boy on a body that was wearing the same outfit as the people in the science department. She took it and hooked it onto her wrist. She wiped away the grime and dust on it and waited for it to boot up. The date was displayed clearly in the corner, she gasped loud enough for it to echo in the quiet room. She dropped to her knees and breathed heavily. More than 200 years had passed. Suddenly the skeletons made sense. The way her body was struggling to acclimate made sense. Everything was coming to focus and she couldn't handle it. She broke into tears. How long had it been since Shaun was taken? What was out there?

She hit the ground in frustration, what was she going to do?

. . .

"…Vault door cycling sequence initiated. Please stand back…Enjoy your return to the surface. And thank you for choosing Vault-Tec…" Daeda waited for the big vault door to open. She stood defiantly along the walkway, gun in hand and Pip-Boy on her wrist. She was going to face whatever came at her with the same level-headedness and training as when she was a spy. Nothing was going to stop her from finding Shaun and nothing was going to stop her from avenging Nate. She walked along the walkway with a renewed purpose. She hit the button for the elevator platform and made her way to the surface.

Her Pip-Boy dinged madly as she met the outside. The sun was blinding and there was a dull beige haze across the sky. The aftermath of the detonations didn't seem to have completely gone away. She gasped at the air as it reached her lungs and blinked rapidly to adjust her eyesight. She walked forward to look down below. The houses of Sanctuary Hills were deteriorated and broken down, trees were sparse and everything was…different. Daeda didn't know what she expected but it was definitely worse. She turned back, remembering the path they had taken to reach the platform. More skeletons were along the path, she tried to ignore them and continue but she couldn't help but recognize some of the ragged clothing. She started to walk briskly towards her old home. She needed to keep focus. She could feel her body protesting every movement, but if there was anything she was used to, it was pain. There was still a dull ache and burn in her leg. She suspected she was exposed to some radiation when the roach attacked her but there wasn't much she could do now.

Daeda rounded the corner of a house in the direction of her own when she gasped loudly. An unbelievable sight met her as she looked towards her house. Codsworth was whirring on the front lawn. She hurried over to him, he swiveled towards her and he made a shocked noise.

"As I live and breathe…It's…it's REALLY you!" Daeda was relieved to see a familiar face, alive and well. She had the sudden intrusive thought that General Atomics really did make quality robots. Her body was protesting even more after her hurried movements. She felt unsteady on her feet, her heart was thundering, she was unused to the restrictions of her own body. Frustration was overwhelming her.

"Codsworth…what happened?" It was a stupid question, she knew. She knew what happened. Nuclear bombs dropped and the world was changed but what she didn't know is what happened after that. Codsworth just looked at her; he seemed a bit confused by her question.

"The world, mum? Well, besides our geraniums still being the envy of Sanctuary Hills, I'm afraid things have been dreadfully dull around here. Things will be so much more exciting with you and sir back! Where is your better half, by the by?" Daeda did fall then. The reminder of Nate was devastating. Codsworth made it seem like everything was the same and she was afraid maybe he thought it really was. She questioned his sanity in that moment. Was he okay?

"Nate is…gone, Codsworth. He was killed." Codsworth peered down at her. She could hear his machinery, it was comforting.

"Mum, are you okay? These things you're saying, they're horrible. Maybe you're just suffering from hunger. And from what my sensors can pick up you have some radiation poisoning. Mum, you need medical help, immediately," He moved to help her up but she waved him off.

"Look around you, Codsworth! There is no help! There is no one around!" She felt bad almost instantly for snapping at him. He moved back in shock. He seemed to slightly droop in appearance. "Codsworth…" She sighed and struggled to stand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mad at you but you're acting strange. What's wrong?" She gently asked. Codsworth whirred solemnly.

"I…I…Oh mum, it's been just terrible! Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to serve. I spent the first ten years trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. Nothing! And don't get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house. And the car! The car! How do you polish rust?" Daeda shuffled towards him and put one hand on him. He was no longer shiny but covered in grime and dust. She hated this. None of this should have happened. Codsworth's struggle was upsetting. She wished there was something she could do.

"Focus, Codsworth. I need you and I need you to stay with me," she said softly. He seemed to perk up a little.

"I'm afraid I don't know anything, mum. I thought you and your family were…dead. Every time I tried to venture away from here I was met with less than friendly people who were dirty and had weapons. I didn't know what to do so I just tried to do what I was programmed to do. You're here now and everything will get better, I know it will." Daeda couldn't share his enthusiasm. She had no idea where to start or where to go or even what the world was anymore. She wished she could tell Codsworth that yes everything was going to get better but she couldn't. Nate, her sweet Nate, he had been an unpredictable part of her life and she wouldn't change it for the world. He was her rock, she loved him so much. Now all she could see was his struggle, the gunshot, and the blood. She wrapped her hand around the golden band in her pocket. Shaun was gone. He was taken and she didn't even know why. Did Vault-Tec do it? Or some corrupted version of humanity? Where would she even look? No, she couldn't tell Codsworth that everything was going to be fine, because she wasn't confident that it would be.

"I need to find Shaun," she finally said. Codsworth made a confused noise.

"Mum?"

"Shaun was taken. He was taken and Nate was killed so those bastards could get to him. I need to find Shaun, Codsworth!" He kind of whirred back a bit but he didn't dispute her. She expected him to say she was crazy again but he just looked around like maybe he could see Shaun. He looked back at her. Then he moved off and Daeda watched him move in and out of several houses that weren't caved in. She heard him fight off something from time to time before he finally came back to her with several things in hand.

"Mum, I found RadAway and a Stimpack." He motioned for her arm so she stuck it out for him. He gently administered them to her and she sighed as the burn in her leg faded. She thanked him and followed him as he whirred into what was once her home. He brought a stool for her and she slowly sat on it. He moved around and brought her a bowl of Blamco Brand Mac and Cheese, she slowly ate it. It sat heavily in her stomach. She assumed it was because she hadn't eaten in 200 years but she felt sick.

Her body was objecting at everything she was doing and she didn't know how to remedy it. The Stimpack seemed to have lifted some of the symptoms but she still felt off. Codsworth watched her through all of it.

"Mum, I don't know how to help you find Shaun but I can help you with your health. Whatever you are planning, it needs to wait until you are in peak performance. Whatever happened in that vault, your body is crashing. Your vitals are unstable. The RadAway helped with the radiation but something is still wrong with you. The Stimpack seemed to help alleviate things but you are still not ready to be venturing out in the wild. I would suggest you rest a couple of days for your body to adjust." Daeda looked at him in shock. She expected for him to completely disregard her "crazy" talk but instead he was _hearing_ her. She felt a rush of warmth towards him. She had been gone for 200 years, he had been all alone, and without even a thought he was caring for her. He was making sure she was able enough to find Shaun. She was torn between listening to him and fighting with her body to go out and find Shaun.

"Where would I even start, Codsworth?" She looked desperately at him. Codsworth seemed to think for a moment before he answered her.

"What about Concord, mum?"

. . .

A/N: Well, yeah. Lol. Sorry this took so long. Holiday laziness overcame me. Yes, I've just been sleeping and playing video games. But on the bright side, I've been playing Fallout 4 and came up with a perfect monologue for a later chapter. I'm so proud of myself lol. But thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 3 Contact

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.**

A/N: Well, I tried my best to fix chapter 1 so yeah, hopefully its better now? Lol. I had some issues with my Xbox since the last time I wrote and that pretty much put me off writing for a bit lol. But here is another chapter!

. . .

Chapter 3 Contact

. . .

Codsworth often stayed in low power mode at the foot of Daeda's bed. It started the first night she got out of the vault. Codsworth had watched her thrash in her sleep, her vitals escalating considerably. He had to medicate her again just so she would stop. He suspected it was nightmares and whatever had happened in that vault. Her condition was up and down in the days to follow. She was often too weak to leave the bed. He would bring her water and food, helping her, caring for her.

In one of her more lucid states, she had asked him to start clearing the neighborhood. House by house she had said looking for supplies, anything she could need to find Shaun. So Codsworth did. He went house by house tearing the places apart and separating junk from necessities. When he had asked her what to do with the scraps, she had told him to start repairing the house. Codsworth agreed when it had started to rain. Water seeped through the cracks in the ceiling, and his mum shivered through the night.

Codsworth stayed by her for everything she needed. He hadn't felt needed or wanted for decades. It was a welcome change although he hated seeing her like this. He didn't know what to do to keep her stable. But the more days passed, the better she seemed to be. Her night terrors no longer made her thrash but rather murmur in her sleep.

During a particularly nasty fever, Daeda had made him promise to do whatever he could to insure that she would be able to find Shaun. He had hesitated. It's not that he didn't want to find Shaun, he did. He ached with longing to see the youngling again, to care for him. He hesitated because a small part of him knew that there was a chance she wouldn't survive out there. The world had changed, he realized that now. It wasn't a safe place.

In the end, he had nodded. His eyes narrowing and widening as he assessed her condition. He placed a worn washcloth on her forehead and gave her more chems. All he could do was wait for the fever to leave on its own. On the ninth day, Daeda had been strong enough to change out of the blue and yellow jumpsuit. He had washed it as thoroughly as he could with what he had, managing to find some soap in one of the ruined houses. He handed it back to her and watched as she sewed the torn parts the radroaches had made.

She asked him what he found and presented her with his loot. She gave him a small smile and took inventory. It was while she examined some makeshift armor that her eyes widened and something seemed to have dawned on her. She moved to get out of bed but Codsworth gently pushed her back down.

"Mum, you still aren't well. Please, don't get up." He didn't want to sound pleading but he did. She looked him in his eyes and then nodded. She eased back down.

"Under the bed, there should be a loose floorboard. Pull it out and check if there's still a metal box inside." Codsworth did as she asked and was surprised to find a metal box. He brought it out for her and watched her unlatch it. Inside was what Codsworth recognized as combat armor. It still had the military crest on it, faded green and chipped in some areas but otherwise in surprisingly good condition. He watched as mum smiled broadly.

"Whose is it, mum?" He asked curiously. Her smile faltered.

"Nate's. When we got back from the war he was allowed to keep his armor, it was one of the things he insisted on. Said he wanted to be able to be ready to protect his family if need be. No one questioned him. Nate stashed it here just in case. He didn't like the war but even he knew protection was necessary." She ran her fingers almost lovingly over the armor. Codsworth watched as tears began streaming down her face, sobs started to wrack her chest. He moved over to her side and tried to pat her back comfortingly but she continued to cry. So Codsworth perched himself at her feet and stayed there until she calmed down.

. . .

It was on the eleventh day that Daeda was able to get on her feet. Her vitals were stable and Codsworth no longer needed to dose her with stimpacks every six hours. She asked Codsworth for some water and a washcloth so she could try and wash herself. He brought her a can of purified water in a chipped bucket, and handed her a small piece of soap. She smiled at him and watched as he left. She gently placed the bowl down, her arms still shaky from disuse.

She washed the grime that had accumulated over the past week and a half. She sighed in relief. She didn't realize how dirty she felt until she looked in the bowl and saw murky water. She had put on some ratted underclothes Codsworth found. He took the ones she had on when she got out of the vault and cleaned them. They were drying outside on a wire he had fixed so he could do her laundry. Daeda didn't know how to feel about that.

She loved Codsworth, especially after everything he did to look after her but he seemed way too comfortable playing house. She didn't want to say anything to him though because she knew he needed this. She gripped the edge of a table Codsworth had brought in for her days before. She sighed and let the sound of Codsworth's mechanics ease her rising anxiety.

She reminded herself that she was trained. That she had trained tirelessly and endlessly to be a weapon for the military. She could survive in this wasteland because she had skills that others didn't. She knew how to kill and could do it without hesitation. She knew how to infiltrate, lie, steal, and seduce to get what she wanted. She had done it successfully in China. She would get Shaun back and she would avenge Nate. There was no question. Daeda gripped the chipped wood and forced her body to calm. Getting worked up too quickly could expend her energy.

She picked up the vault suit and put it back on. It was made from a flexible and stretchy fabric that gave her free reign of her motions. She needed that. She hated what the suit represented. It was a reminder of the underground grave she had emerged from. But it was all she had. She moved into the living room where Codsworth had made her some food. She sat down obligingly; she had found it easier just to do as he asked then try to argue with him.

"Thank you, Codsworth." She smiled at him and he beamed. He moved around clearing boxes of two hundred year old food he had used to cook her food. She ate but couldn't taste the food. She hadn't been able to really taste anything since she came out of the vault. But she needed her energy.

"Are you heading out today, mum?" Codsworth sounded grim. He didn't meet her eyes and Daeda knew he didn't want her to leave.

"I have to, Codsworth. I need to find Shaun." She finished her food and looked at him. He was staring at her as if trying to memorize her features. "I'm coming back, Codsworth. No matter what happens out there, I am coming back. I won't leave you behind, not again." She said it to reassure him but she realized, as she looked at him, that she meant it. Codsworth was family, and he was her only family left in this wasteland besides Shaun. Not to mention he was the only person she knew and trusted.

"You should get going, mum." He made a sputtering sound almost as if he were clearing an imaginary throat. He made his way over to where her supplies lied. Daeda stood and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure what to expect out there but she was ready, she had to be. Codsworth helped her put on the worn combat armor that had belonged to Nate. She looked fierce when he was done; he couldn't help but marvel at her. She truly was a soldier.

He heaved a leather backpack onto her. It was full of chems, water, food, and several weapons he managed to find including several switchblades. He strapped a rusty shotgun onto her back and handed her a 10mm gun. She looked it over and put it into her gun strap. Daeda had kept a few things from her time in the war. She had kept a durable and customized gun harness as well as a thigh strap that held a rusty and bent combat knife. Both were gifts given by her teammates. She had been delighted when they were also in the metal box. She had forgotten about them, had forgotten a lot of things.

Over the past eleven days, Daeda realized that there were some things she couldn't remember. Some of her memories seemed like they were just beyond reach. She had pushed down the anxiety that came with that realization. She couldn't waste any more time trying to recover from whatever was done to her in the vault.

She looked at Codsworth and leaned in to give him a kiss on his middle eye. She gave him a smile and walked out the door. Codsworth watched her walk down the street, round the curb, and head towards Concord.

. . .

Daeda stared at the giant mosquito-like monster that lay dead at her feet. The dog she had come across at Red Rocket Station sat a few feet away from her. She had been wary to approach the dog after coming across a dead man next to what looked like a mutated dog. He looked normal enough. He had wagged his tail and allowed her to pet his head. She had asked him if he had an owner but he merely barked and looked at her expectantly.

She had moved on, not wanting to waste anymore time but the dog followed her. She tried to shoo him away but he didn't stop. So she gave up trying especially since she heard a strange buzzing. She cursed her glasses then. The glasses had cracked on her left side, obscuring her peripheral vision. She didn't see the giant insect until she fully turned around. She didn't hesitate to reach for her gun and begin shooting. She missed a couple of times before she finally hit her target. She cursed herself for being rusty. She didn't notice the second one until she saw it buzz away.

She breathed shakily and reloaded her gun. She headed deeper towards Concord. She glanced briefly at the mutated creature the bugs were feasting on; shivering when she realized it resembled a cow. Steeling herself, she pushed on. The dog was at her heels, sometimes going ahead of her and sniffing around. It was when she reached two roads that she heard gunfire.

She ducked behind one of the buildings after seeing several people in ratted clothing and leather armor head towards what used to be the Museum of Freedom. Daeda had been there once with Nate, he had suggested they get used to the area. She peeked around and saw that they were shooting at a man standing on the balcony of the museum.

Daeda had to really look for her to realize the man was wearing old clothing and wielded what appeared to be some kind of laser weapon. She surveyed the battle, trying to determine what she should do. Her choice was made for her, however, when one of the individuals spotted her. He had turned around and started shooting at her.

"Shit!" She ducked back behind the building, kneeled and checked her 10mm. She breathed deeply and took out her knife. Gun in her right hand and knife in her left, she waited for the man to near then stabbed him in the thigh. He wailed and stumbled which gave her enough time to aim her gun at his chest and blast two rounds. He fell in front of her feet. She quickly checked his body for supplies. The others were too busy shooting at the museum to notice one of their own was down. She found some ammo and what appeared to be some kind of handmade gun. She quickly put it in her pack and stood.

She rounded the building and made her way towards the gunfire. She had just made her first shot into the guy nearest her when the dog that followed her bounded past her and attacked a woman in some kind of gas mask. Daeda shot the guy down and moved onto the next. One of them raced towards her, a tire iron in his grip. Daeda downed a woman on her right who turned to start shooting at her. She dodged the man, and brought her knife up under his arm. He screamed and fell to his knees. She shot him in the back and moved onto the woman the dog was attacking. He had her leg in his teeth when she brought her gun down to hit him. Daeda hurried over when she heard the dog yelp, not liking the sound.

She buried her knife into the woman's throat and breathed heavily as she looked around but she had downed all of them. Remembering that there was a man on the balcony she looked up. The man looked slightly stunned but then he recovered.

"We need help! I have civilians in here, and they're almost at the door. Grab that laser musket and help!" He yelled down at her gesturing to a dead man in similar dress as him. Next to him was an odd contraption that must have been the laser musket. She looked around her and then back up at the balcony but the man was gone. She groaned loudly and grabbed the laser musket and the fusion cells she found on the man. She reloaded her own 10mm and strapped it. She looked the musket over and found it quite simple to work; she reloaded it and turned the crank. The barrel filled with energy and she opened the doors to the museum.

. . .

She fought her way easily to the top floor where the civilians were holed up. She approached cautiously when the man from the balcony waved her over.

"I don't know who you are but I'm glad you showed up. You…you took them down like it wasn't even hard. Where did you learn how to do that?" He asked. He looked her up and down, frowning at her attire. She sighed and tried to hand him the laser musket. "No, it's yours. You deserve it." She gave him a small nod and looked around. There was a burly man wearing overalls at a terminal, typing away. There was an old woman sitting on a couch wearing an odd head scarf and scratching the dog behind his ears, he seemed happy to see her. Then there was a woman pacing back and forth looking distraught. A man moaning and muttering every now and then sat on the floor against a desk. From what Daeda could see, the man was right. They were civilians. He seemed to be the only one with a weapon and the means to know how to use it.

"It…um…it's a long story." She answered the man's question. She cleared her throat. "My name is Daeda. I'm…new to the area. I heard the gunfire and I was deciding whether or not to interfere. I didn't know who was who or what was going on but then one of them attacked me and…" She sighed deeply. "I had no choice. Why were they shooting at you?" She asked suddenly. The man's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"They were raiders." He watched her curiously but she only looked confused. He cleared his throat as well, not sure what to make of her. "You know raiders? Bunch of lowlifes who steal and kill everyone they come across. They attack on sight and loot the dead bodies they leave behind." He watched her fidget. Her hand gripped the laser musket. She glanced back out the door and then nodded to herself.

"You didn't tell me your name," she said. He gave her a small smile.

"Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen." He tipped his hat at her. She wrinkled her nose and huffed.

"I should be going." She moved to leave when Preston grabbed her arm. She yanked back and drew the musket up. He backed off immediately and put his hand up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that…It's just…we still need help." He grimaced as he said it like he didn't like to admit it. She eyed him intensely making him squirm. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. She seemed…lost. She didn't know what raiders were and his own title made her huff in frustration like she couldn't understand anything he was saying. But watching her fight, he'd never seen anything like it.

She had weaved her way through the raiders with a fluidity and grace he'd never seen anywhere in the Commonwealth. Looking at her armor he suspected perhaps she had been with gunners but he'd never seen a gunner move like her. Then there was the matter of her vault suit. He supposed she could have grown up in a vault, learned everything she knew in a vault. And maybe that was why she was so confused. Surely growing up in a vault would make her oblivious to the outside world. But Preston had the feeling that wasn't the case. He was surprised to see her wearing eyeglasses; it was cracked on one end but in better condition than anything else in the wasteland. Not to mention her skin was flawless. Spending enough time in the wasteland left you with scars, burns, marks, and the odd mutation. Preston knew a woman who had a thumb bigger than the other. But her skin was unmarked, there was a fresh cut here and there but they were shallow and had already stopped bleeding. Preston shuffled his feet, not sure why she was staring at him so intently.

"What do you need help with?" She gritted out. Preston sighed in relief and quickly collected his bearings. He turned to the man at the terminal. Daeda looked at him as he turned around.

"Sturges," Preston said. The man smirked at Daeda and filled her in.

"There's a fusion core in the basement of the building. If you can get that then you can use it to power the power armor some soldier left on the roof way back when. Do that, grab the minigun off the vertibird, and get rid of the rest of the raiders piling onto the street." Daeda nodded stiffly and brought her pack around to stuff the laser musket in it.

"Got it." She handed the pack to Preston, he took it confusedly. "Keep this for me. If I'm going to use power armor I won't be able to carry it with me. It's too bulky right now and I don't have a second person to strap it onto me once I'm in it." Preston just looked stunned at her words as did Sturges.

"Wait, do you know how to use power armor?" Sturges asked her. She shrugged her shoulders and checked her armor, tightening straps and checking for tears.

"Yes." Preston and Sturges looked at each other.

"How?" Preston asked her.

"If we make it through this I'll explain it but until then I have shit to do." She gave them a wry smile. She turned around and made her way back downstairs. Preston and Sturges stared after her in awe.

. . .

Daeda easily hacked her way into the terminal locking the door to the fusion core, she was grateful that her memories on how to do that weren't gone. She grabbed the fusion core and rushed upstairs. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could continue looking for Shaun. She didn't know why she was helping them. The spy in her told her that she needed to look for Shaun and avoid all distractions but the human part, the weak part, told her that she needed to help these people. She acquiesced in the end, so far the only good thing in this new world she had come across was Codsworth and a small part of her was desperate for human contact.

She had spent two hundred years among others who were frozen and then at some point, among the dead. Codsworth was a relief to see but he wasn't human. Daeda had been cautious with these new people, eyeing them suspiciously but she couldn't deny the ache in her chest at finally coming across what seemed to be some decent people.

Daeda had easily found her way to the power armor and mowed her through the raiders on the street. It was when they were thinning out that she heard a loud clamor behind them. A large creature emerged from the sewer, rushing towards them and attacking anything in its path.

"Fuck!" She yelled as it got closer. She aimed the minigun straight at the monster and loaded round after round into it. It didn't even slow down so Daeda rushed into the nearest run down store. It tried to follow her but it couldn't fit into the doorway. It smashed its head against the doorframe, the brick looking like it wasn't going to hold long so she aimed the gun at its head and kept shooting. It slowed down slightly but managed to break through the surrounding brick. It swiped at her with its claws, pushing on the chest of the power armor. The breath was knocked out of her momentarily but she recovered quickly and continued to gun it down.

Eventually it slumped to the ground, dead. Daeda had sighed loudly in relief.

"Fuck!" She cursed again. "I hate this fucking place." She muttered it as she made her way back into the museum.

. . .

Daeda climbed out of the power armor back at home. She set up the armor in the workshop across from her house. She supposed at some point someone lived there. There were various projects left in disarray around the makeshift workshop. Some pieces of power armor that looked damaged beyond repair but whoever had been there had tried. She unfastened her pack from the armor; Preston had hooked it on for her. She shouldered it and watched as the new acquaintances sat on the curb, all of them sighing and looking around.

"Mum! You're back! And with…people." Codsworth had looked happy to see her but then looked nervously at the people gathered. Daeda gave him a smile and patted him.

"Codsworth, this is Preston Garvey, that's Sturges, Mama Murphy, Marcy and Jun Long," Daeda introduced each of them. "Um, this is Codsworth. He's family." Codsworth beamed at her words.

"Is this your place?" Preston asked looking around for potential threats.

"Oh yes, mum has been a resident in Sanctuary Hills for over two hundred years."

"Codsworth…" Daeda began but it was too late. They were all gaping at her like she had just grown an extra head. She sighed heavily.

. . .

Preston's cock dragged enticingly against her walls. She gasped raggedly and held onto him. He was thrusting rapidly into her, chasing his release. Daeda rolled her hips and scratched along his back. He moaned raggedly and grabbed at her soft curves. She moaned loudly when his cock pushed against her cervix. It was painful but Daeda was just happy she could feel something other than the numbness and cold she had been feeling since she left the vault.

She knew this wasn't what she meant when she needed human contact or maybe it did. All she knew was that she had a nightmare, Preston came bursting in thinking there was an intruder and then she had jumped him. He was surprisingly pliant to her advances. He allowed her to crawl onto his lap and kiss him hungrily. He had retaliated quickly. He had grabbed at her hips and thrust his tongue into her mouth, practically devouring her in desperation. Daeda had ground her pelvis against his groin. She was delighted when she felt him harden. She had hastily undone his trousers and before he could really get a say his cock was sinking into her cunt. She rode him roughly.

Daeda liked sex. She had always liked sex probably more than she should have. During the war, it was the perfect way to let out her frustrations and to just forget everything for awhile. It was a high that got her out of her head.

Preston leaned back more so he could reach between them and rub at her clit. She moaned louder not caring if everyone else could hear her. Preston sucked at her neck and then down to her chest. Her nipples stood at attention, her arousal becoming overwhelming. She was getting close, her orgasm getting closer and closer the more he touched her. He was getting close too, Daeda could feel it.

Finally, he grabbed her hips and slammed her onto his cock with one hard thrust. She came brokenly around him, milking him greedily. She gasped at the ceiling while he breathed heavily into her chest. She could feel his warm cum inside her; she didn't want him to pull out. She wanted him to stay there so she could just revel in the contact, the feeling of him stretching her walls and pulsing inside her. She didn't want to think or remember. She just wanted to feel.

"Fuck." She felt him say against her skin. The moment shattered, his cock slipped out of her, and Daeda came crashing back to reality.

. . .

A/N: God, this took forever to write. I apologize. Things have been hectic. But thanks for reading. Sorry if the smut is awkward or whatever, I'm not really used to writing it. Also, I don't have a beta so sorry for the errors. I usually look back over it within a week of posting and update the changes.


	5. Chapter 4 Familiar

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.**

A/N: Chapters are slow, I know. It's hot as heck where I live and it hasn't really given much fuel for inspiration, if anything it makes me not want to go on my laptop that will no doubt overheat. I can't wait for winter time.

. . .

Chapter 4 Familiar

. . .

"Sorry," Daeda muttered while fixing a strap on her armor. Preston shuffled his feet.

"I know…" He sighed. "I'm not expecting anything from you; I understand that it was just a onetime thing." He leaned in slightly so that the others couldn't hear him. Daeda felt guilty. Not only had she used the poor Minuteman for sex but she was putting him in an awkward situation.

Daeda mustered the courage to look at him, which was ridiculous because it's not like this was her first one night stand. She used to get over that shit easily but this was different because of so many reasons. Daeda didn't like that it was different.

"I'm heading towards Diamond City. It's the only tip I have and who knows what I'll find along the way. You guys can stay here and build it up if you'd like, Codsworth will be in charge of my house and I would appreciate it if you would include him in your decisions and plans for Sanctuary. He's lived here and looked after it a hell of a lot longer than anyone else. I'll try to bring back any supplies I find, I don't know when I'll be back though."

Preston nodded and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Of course. I…" He hesitated but then seemed to find his bearings. "I want to ask for a favor." Daeda frowned. She needed to find Shaun, how did she get caught up in all of this? She sighed, tapped her foot and then nodded.

"If you have the time or if by some weird chance of fate you end up going that way, a settlement has asked the Minutemen for help. I'm the only one left and I need to stay here to make sure these guys are fine, I owe them that. I was wondering if you would see what they needed," he let out. He was looking at her expectantly.

She was losing sight of the mission, the goal. Find Shaun, get revenge. That was her primary directive but somehow she ended up helping and taking in a group of strays who seemed to always need help. Daeda was many things but a good person was never necessarily on the list. But Preston looked at her like a lost bulldog. She knew what he wanted from her. It was blatantly obvious.

Men like Preston only saw one purpose in their life and if that was suddenly taken away from them, then what was the point? She knew he would want to build his little band of heroes back up and she was a viable candidate to help him. After all, hadn't he told her repeatedly that he had never met or seen anyone like her? He'd seen her in combat, had seen what she could do. To men like Preston, she was an asset. After all, that was what she was trained to be.

"If I can." She moved away from him, getting increasingly frustrated just being in his presence. She moved to Codsworth who hovered at the edge of their garden waiting for her.

"Mum, do be careful. And bring Shaun home safely." He looked imploringly at her. She gave him a wide smile and kissed him on his right eye.

"Hold the fort for me?" he nodded and she began to make her way out of Sanctuary.

. . .

Daeda had tried to get Dogmeat to go back to Sanctuary but the mutt wouldn't listen. When she made it to the edge of Concord, she gave up and let him follow her. She stopped briefly to contemplate which road she should take. No one had exactly told her where Diamond City was and she wondered why she didn't ask. She knew the answer, she had been distracted.

She cursed herself for being unfocused but she couldn't help it. It was like her mind was constantly trying to play catch up. She would randomly remember odd details and then her mind would drift off to other subjects. It was becoming increasingly frustrating.

She didn't even want to think about how wanton she had been the night before. She didn't know what had gotten into her only that she had needed it and she didn't understand why. Maybe it was some psychological thing she had developed after being frozen for so long but she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed the intimacy. She had enjoyed it at least until Preston had talked.

There was something about his voice that had grated on her nerves. It had effectively pulled her out of the euphoria into a harsh reality that she wasn't aware she had been trying to escape from. She wondered what Nate thought of her little sexy escapade. Did he understand why she had done it? Did he approve? She desperately didn't want to jump down that rabbit hole.

Lost in her thoughts, Daeda had mindlessly turned right on the road. She didn't feel guilty about sleeping with Preston and that unnerved her. She loved Nate. Shouldn't she be more upset?

The sound of something huffing broke her out of her thoughts. She stifled a sigh. She really should be more alert. Resting ahead of her on the side of the road was an older woman and what looked to be a double headed cow carrying a bunch of junk. She wondered if the woman was friendly or if she had to start out her day by killing someone. One hand on her 10mm and she cautiously approached.

"Hey!" She tried not to sound rude but she did anyways. She just managed not to cringe at her own tone. The woman didn't even look up at her. She just continued to drink from a brown bottle.

"What?" The woman sounded just as gruff. Daeda moved closer into her line of sight. "You want to trade?" The woman finally looked up at her and Daeda was slightly startled to see how red her eyes were. Was the woman a junkie? Daeda knew the signs.

"Maybe some other time." She forced a small smile but the woman looked unaffected. She cleared her throat. "You don't happen to know where Diamond City is, do you?" The woman scoffed and stood.

"Figures you'd be asking for directions." The woman pointed. "Just follow that road, it's past the bridge." Before Daeda could ask any more questions, the woman walked past her and the cow followed. Sighing heavily, Daeda continued down the road. She heard loud voices and stopped to listen.

She didn't want to get involved but the man shouting saw her passing by and stopped her. He asked her to help him gets his caps but she didn't know what was going on. She took one look at an old woman in the run down Drumlin Diner to know that the man was probably a criminal. She wondered if that was a word still used. She sighed and went into the diner only to see a young man rocking back and forth on the floor. Daeda knew a junkie when she saw one.

The woman told a sob story about how Wolfgang had sold her son Jet and demanded that she pay up for the boy's now obvious addiction. _The guy was a drug dealer, figures_. Daeda thought to herself and sighed. The woman was now offering to pay her to kill the guy. She sighed but agreed because she didn't like drug dealers. She took a couple of steps out the diner and then shot the woman Wolfgang was with. He shouted and started shooting at Daeda. Her arm was grazed.

"Oh for fuck's sake!"

. . .

Daeda had been contemplating whether she considered herself a mercenary when her Pip-Boy made an odd sound. She never used a Pip-Boy before but she had seen them. She looked down at the device on her wrist in confusion. She knew it wasn't the ticking of radiation so she wasn't particularly worried but why did it make a sound? She fiddled with the knob until the radio popped up. She hadn't had much time to actually explore the small personal computer. She was surprised to see that something called Diamond City Radio existed. She tuned into it and listened but it only played an old timey song she hadn't heard in awhile. She wondered if radio was still a thing.

The other station the Pip-Boy picked up seemed to be a distress signal of some kind. She tuned in to it and listened to a woman asking for help. Daeda sighed and looked down at Dogmeat who looked at her expectedly. He seemed to know what she was going to do before she did because he started down the road.

Daeda knew where the Cambridge Police Station was. Anyone who lived in the area knew where it was. She and Nate drove down the road through College Square every Saturday on the way to downtown Boston. She followed Dogmeat who also seemed to know where to go. She wondered where the dog had come from since Mama Murphy didn't seem to know either.

Dogmeat began to growl and Daeda stopped. Up ahead of them were people. Or what looked like people but their clothes were ragged and torn. When Daeda got a bit closer she realized that their skin looked burned like they had been hit by the fallout. She thought back to what Preston said about Ghouls. Were these the ones that could talk or the ones that attacked mindlessly? She pulled out her 10mm to be safe.

As soon as they got close enough for them to be seen they started straggling towards her and then almost at breakneck speed tried to attack her. eyH "the She managed to dodge the hit and the ghoul fell against the gravel. She aimed her gun and shot into its chest. It stopped moving and she turned around hearing more footsteps.

"Fuck!"

. . .

By the time Daeda made it to the Police Station she was done. She had scratches and bites. She knew she had taken some rads because her Pip-Boy ticked wildly every time she was attacked. She loathed taking off her pack and setting up a RadAway though so she continued on. As soon as she found a safe place to stop she would set up an IV line but until then she continued to the station. She could hear what sounded like a laser rifle being fired and steeled herself. She saw that a bunch of ghouls were attacking the station, it looked slightly fortified but without the manpower the ghouls were getting past easily.

She looked at the fortification and decided that she didn't want to end up in the person's line of fire so she climbed over the railing and onto the upraised platform. She saw that a guy in some uniform was dead and so was a ghoul next to him. She frowned and started firing at the ghouls. There was some guy in a Power Armor suit with an insignia she wasn't familiar with. A woman in a red uniform was attending to a wounded guy behind him. The guy in Power Armor looked at her as she killed two of the ghouls before they could reach him.

He yelled out that a civilian was on sight and to check their fire but from what Daeda could see he was the only one firing. The woman had dropped her rifle to attend to the wounded. Daeda figured that if someone hadn't come along, they would have died. She wondered why exactly she was helping people. It's not like this was something she usually did but there was something about this new world that made everyone seem a little helpless and for some reason that brought out a protective streak in her that she didn't understand.

She thought of her parents suddenly. She thought of how she had joined the military as a way of helping them out and the sudden feeling of loss hit her hard. Her arm faltered slightly and she missed her target. She cursed and reloaded her 10mm. Her lip was trembling and she was trying hard to stay focused. But her parents' faces swam before her eyes and she kept missing.

She let out a frustrated growl and something came over her. Everything seemed to focus and shot after shot she hit her target. She couldn't remember having such concentration since during the war. The sounds of the ghouls stopped and she realized that they were all dead. She sighed heavily and looked down to Dogmeat who was back at her side, his muzzle all bloody.

He nuzzled into her palm and she smiled warmly at the way it calmed her down. She put her 10mm back in her holster and made her way down to the man in Power Armor. As she approached he took off his helm and Daeda stopped in her tracks. For a second all she saw was Nate. The breath left her in a rush and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Nate?" she barely said the name when the man spoke over her.

"Thank you…"

. . .

Daeda hooked an IV line and waited for the effects to take place. Once she felt a little better she injected the RadAway. The woman named Scribe Haylen watched her curiously. Daeda didn't meet her gaze or acknowledge the question in her eyes but instead focused on her Pip-Boy. It showed the decline of radiation in her system. She sighed gratefully when the slight burn from her wounds stopped. She unhooked the IV and repacked her supplies into her pack before she took out a can of purified water and sipped at it. She knew Codsworth would reprimand her if she didn't take care of herself which is the only reason she stopped. If she had her way she would have been closer to Diamond City.

The man named Paladin Danse had let her come inside the Police Station to rest up but he said he needed her help with something else. Daeda was hesitant. The way he spoke reminded her of a soldier and she wondered who exactly the Brotherhood of Steel was. They sounded like a band of bikers than an actual military. The more Daeda had looked at him the more he didn't look like Nate but the similarities scared her nonetheless. She didn't trust them and the way the wounded man name Rhys stared at her made her feel on edge. He didn't like her, it was obvious.

"You made an IV line," Haylen finally spoke up. Daeda looked at her and nodded. "Do you have medical training?" she asked. Daeda nodded.

"Some." She dug in her pack for something to give Dogmeat some water and was surprised to see a chipped bowl. What had Codsworth packed for her? She took it out and put some water in it and put it next to Dogmeat who lapped at the water happily. Daeda took out a small can of pork and beans and opened it with one of her knives. She nibbled at the can of food but her appetite was still messed up so she gave the rest to Dogmeat. All the while Haylen continued to stare at her.

"You have combat training too," the woman said matter-of-factly. Daeda didn't even bother to look at her. The less they knew about her the better until she could figure out what they wanted. "The way you shot at the ghouls. It was like nothing I've ever seen. And I know some good shooters but wow…" Daeda sipped at her water and then abruptly stood. Haylen watched her with a slight frown on her face.

"I should get going," Daeda said. She reached for her pack and grabbed the empty bowl by Dogmeat. She stuffed it back into her bag and shouldered it. She moved towards the doors but the sound of a Power Armor moving stopped her.

"Wait," Danse called out and Daeda rigidly turned around.

"Let her go," Rhys spoke up harshly. "We don't need her." Daeda ignored him and looked at Danse. He met her gaze and cleared his throat.

"We still need some help." He looked like he was reluctant to admit it and Daeda could understand that. Men like him had discipline and purpose. Admitting that he needed help wasn't exactly something men like him liked to do but Daeda could appreciate it. So she stayed put.

"With what?" she asked. Danse gave a stern look to Rhys who only looked down at his wound. He then looked to Haylen who was ready to say something.

"I've been trying to set up a distress signal to reach my superiors but the signal is too weak to reach them. Scribe Haylen here seems to have a solution but I'm a man down and I need help." His gaze had hardened as he once again said that he needed help. Daeda didn't know what to do. The way he looked at her reminded her of how Nate used to look before he would be shipped off and she was suddenly overwhelmed at the familiar feeling.

She didn't trust them. She didn't know who they were but there was a lot of that going around. She thought about Preston and the group back at Sanctuary. She frowned.

"Go on." She shifted her pack to be more comfortable and looked Danse right in the eyes. He looked taken aback for a moment before he looked to Scribe Haylen.

"I've modified the radio tower on the roof but it's not enough to get the signal to our superiors," Haylen explained and then looked back to Danse.

"Our target is ArcJet Systems; it has the tech we need to boost the signal. We infiltrate the facility, get the tech, and get out." Daeda looked thoughtful.

"What kind of tech are you talking about?" she asked and looked at Haylen.

"It's called the Deep Range Transmitter," Danse answered for her. Daeda briefly glared at him before she looked to Dogmeat.

"I really do have somewhere to get to. Besides, I think I've done enough charity for the day. Helping you against a horde of feral ghouls seems like enough help from me." She tightened the straps on her pack and moved towards the door. Dogmeat made a brief whining noise before he followed after her.

"I can pay you." She stopped in her tracks and turned around. She glared at them.

"Of course the promise of caps gets you to reconsider. You're just like everyone else in this fucking place," Rhys said before he slumped onto the ground. His wound was obviously paining him but she couldn't feel bad for the jerk.

"I'm not a mercenary. I don't take caps or jobs or whatever the fuck you think I do. Yeah, I have some training and yeah, it's none of your fucking business." She glared at Rhys and then Haylen. "I'm just…looking for someone. And to me, that is more important." She looked at Danse and tried to ignore the sharp pang in her chest she felt looking at him. He really did look like Nate.

She turned back around and reached for the door handle.

"We can help you." She internally groaned and turned around again. "The Brotherhood of Steel could help you. If you need to find someone, your best bet is the Brotherhood. If we can get the signal out maybe we can help. The Brotherhood has resources. You could find who you're looking for." Danse sounded sincere but Daeda was reluctant. She didn't trust them. She didn't know anything about them.

She dropped her pack and then checked her ammo.

"I hope you have ammo. ArcJet is a bit of a walk and we don't know what's going to be on the road. I used quite a bit getting through those damn ferals." She ignored the way Haylen smiled widely, Rhys' glare, and the way the corners of Danse lips quirked up.

. . .

The walk to ArcJet Systems was filled with raiders, feral dogs, something called a bloatfly, and Danse going on and on about the Brotherhood of Steel. Daeda was ready to quit several times before they finally made it to the facility. Danse was an annoying companion but he wasn't a bad shot and his Power Armor gave him an advantage Daeda knew all too well. When gunfire sprang out she quickly ducked behind him and then released her own gunfire. The raiders were easy to put down and Daeda quickly picked through their supplies including the poor sod they had killed. She left her pack behind though, knowing it would slow her down and Danse had made this sound like a mission where she would need full range of motion.

She had glared at Rhys and Haylen. She warned them that she would know if her pack was messed with. Haylen had smiled at her and assured her that she would keep an eye on her pack. Rhys hadn't bothered to look at her. She really didn't like him.

When they had entered ArcJet it was clear that something was wrong. Daeda had stared awestruck at the state of the place. It was dirty and collapsed in some areas. But what unnerved her most were the amount of skeletons lying around. Daeda thought of the vault and shuddered. She followed Danse's lead.

When he mentioned synths and the Institute, Daeda suddenly felt like she was stuck in a bad sci-fi novel. There was such a thing as synthetic people and a ghost facility that manufactured them? It was like something straight out of one of her comic books. But she looked at the dismantled robots and shuddered at the absence of a human presence. Danse had pointed it out. There was no blood or any evidence that what had destroyed the robots was human. Daeda holstered her 10mm and pulled out the double barrel shotgun she had made sure to bring along.

Danse had watched her pick up a worn bag and place various objects in it as they went through. He didn't say anything but Daeda knew he was curious. She didn't say anything though. From what Danse had told her of the Brotherhood, she wasn't sure she was onboard with it. She understood the logic, the need, but she didn't approve of their methods. She was sure if the Brotherhood saw Codsworth; they would take him and study him. He was over 200 years old and survived on his own to look after his family's house. Surely, he qualified as technology that didn't belong in anyone's hands, let alone her.

She was also sure that if the Brotherhood found out about her background they would go into the vault to study the cryopods. She didn't want anyone to get a hold of those. Who knew what the Brotherhood did with all the technology they took. And most of all she didn't want them to study her, to question her. It was bad enough that she had to tell Preston and them. She didn't want everyone to know anything about her. It was better that way. Or at least that's what her training told her. In China, she never gave anything about herself away. The only people who _knew_ her were her team and that was it. Then she met Nate…

Danse had watched her work on the terminals in interest. It was clear that he had questions but he never spoke them and Daeda wondered why. She was good at terminals, at hacking. It was part of her training but she had taken a personal interest in it before she joined up.

When Daeda had gotten a locked door open she was taken aback by what she saw. The skeletal robots had attacked them with vengeance. Daeda had backed away from the onslaught and then instinct kicked in. She drew her gun up and then fired the ones that tried to grab at her. She braced herself for the kick back and then had to reload. Danse, meanwhile, was trying to keep them from reaching her. It was obvious by the way he kept firing and then pushing back at them. Daeda couldn't remember the last time she had been truly afraid but looking into their cold faces had frightened her. When the last one had fallen she slumped against a desk and tried to even out her breathing.

"Synths?" she questioned looking at Danse. He nodded grimly at her and then hesitantly approached her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice was stern but his eyes were soft. She nodded.

"Just startled. I've never seen them before." She reached down and grabbed one of the guns they had carried. She examined it. It was reminiscent of a fusion rifle but different. She saw a series of numbers on the side and unloaded the fusion ammo. She put it in her bag and also picked up one of the batons they had carried. The ones they carried were electrical. Danse frowned at her but didn't say anything. They carried on.

. . .

It was around the fourth terminal that she picked through when she noticed that Danse was getting irritated. He couldn't stand still and was constantly glancing at her as if to will her to hurry up but he never voiced his frustration. She smirked to herself and continued what she was doing. It had become an unexpected habit of hers to check through the terminals. It interested her to know what happened and how things went down in other places. Daeda thought of her and Nate running and shielding Shaun from the rubble. The blinding light from the explosion flashed behind her eyes and she pushed away from the terminal. She grabbed her bag of junk and followed Danse.

"Why do you bother with the terminals?" He finally asked her as they descended a staircase. She shrugged.

"Usually they tell a story." It was all she said and Danse seemed satisfied with the answer. He didn't look quite as irritated when she looked through the next terminal.

They went through another group of synths and it was slowly getting easier for Daeda who took note of how they operated. They acted mindlessly. They seemed to attack anything that wasn't their own. They even grabbed at Dogmeat and tried to hit him with their batons. Daeda was reluctant to let the dog near them afraid that their circuitry would shock him. They had incredible strength and Daeda found it easier to avoid their grasps by dodging and moving away from them until she could get a shot.

One hit from her shotgun usually took them down taken she got them square in the chest but otherwise a few shots to the head with her 10mm did the trick. Daeda was still rusty but the more she fought the easier it was getting and her training was coming back to her. Inhale, exhale, and release.

But they kept coming. They were at the bottom of ArcJet Systems and they needed to get the power up so they could use the elevator. Danse was trying his best to stop the synths that kept dropping from above but he was easily getting overpowered. Daeda hurried to the control room. She flipped a switch to turn the power back on but as she looked through the window that faced the outer room she realized that there was no way they were going to make it. Danse was on his knee and the synths kept coming. She looked down at the controls and then the rocket. She groaned in frustration and then yelled into the intercom.

"Danse put your helmet on, brace yourself!" She watched him struggle to put his helmet on and then she pushed the button to start the rocket engine. The blast was powerful and at the last moment she pushed the button to close the doors to the control room. The fire nearly reached her. She was pushed back and landed painfully on her hip. She groaned and looked up at the window waiting for the blast to die down.

She pushed herself up and looked at Dogmeat who was sitting behind her whining. She was happy the dog was keen on following her. He wouldn't have survived that. She pushed the button to open the doors and rushed out. The whole outer room was charred and the synths were burned to dust. Danse was still on his knee and unmoving. She ran over to him and tried to pull on his helmet but the metal was hot and she burned her hands. She cried out and then tried again, using her jumpsuit to try and keep from burning herself.

Finally, Danse moved and he removed his helmet. He looked at her in concern and exasperation. He looked as if he couldn't quite believe he survived that. Daeda didn't know what came over her. Just that she could feel herself smiling widely and laughing a little hysterically at the situation. He chuckled a little as well taken back by her smile.

She was leaning against the charred wall and he was still on one knee. He looked around at the destruction of the room and then back at her. Her hair was in disarray and falling into her eyes. Her glasses were slightly smudged with ash and her jumpsuit was dirty. She was clenching her fists and Danse remembered that she had burned herself. He reached for her hands almost instinctively. Her smiled faded into a bewildered look and he looked her over for any severe damage but her palms were just red. He looked at her and was confused at the look on her face.

He let go of her and was about to stand but she did something that stopped him. Her hand, burned by his helmet, suddenly and very softly brushed across his cheek. The caress was brief and light but it still made his stomach flip. The look on Daeda's face was gone and she moved away from him.

"I left my bag, check to see if the elevator works now." She was out of the room when he finally stood.

Daeda mentally slapped herself. Why had she done that? She knew why but she didn't want to think about it. The way Danse had chuckled, the way he had smiled at her, it was overwhelmingly _familiar_. Nate, Danse was so much like Nate and yet so different. But the way he had looked at her. She couldn't help herself. And then she had touched him and she was reminded of where they were and who he was. And Nate was gone.

. . .

A/N: Well, this took FOREVER to write. It's my fault. I'm a well accomplished procrastinator. I know how long it took from the author's note in the beginning since it is now winter time lol. Wow. Well, yeah. Lol. Sorry 'bout that. I know the way I write isn't correct? Lol. I KNOW. But it's how I write so yeah. Also, I'm excited about Fallout 76. I mean obviously I have some concerns but I'm still excited. As long as it has STORY then I'll be fine. The stories and characters are what made me love Fallout in the first place and hopefully there is some of that in Fallout 76.


End file.
